58 Police Officials Attend Drug Seminar In South Whitehall

July 03, 1986|by MICHELLE BUZGON, The Morning Call

Pipes, roach clips and butane lighters - all the paraphernalia were laid out on the table. So were the drugs, including cocaine, heroin and some of the highest quality marijuana found in the United States. And the room was full of cops.

No, it was not a raid. Everything was perfectly legal. The law enforcement officers were gathered at the Cetronia Ambulance Corps for a drug awareness seminar conducted by an agent from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

The South Whitehall Township seminar, part of a program begun four years ago, was the first event open to law enforcement officers from surrounding municipalities. Fifty-eight officers from 18 agencies participated.

"South Whitehall Township has made the decision to take the lead in the training," Police Commissioner Steven Okun said. "There are no boundary lines when you're talking about law enforcement."

George T. Miller, divisional training coordinator for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said the seminar is for the safety of the officers.

"We want to give them the knowledge that they can do their job better," Miller said. "They need to know how the abuser will react, what it is that the abuser is likely to do."

They also need to know how to recognize the drugs and how to handle and test them, he said.

Okun said the Lehigh Valley is no exception to the growing national problem of drug possession and sales.

To combat this problem, South Whitehall formed a drug enforcement team this year. So far, the team, working with the state police regional strike force, has made about 35 arrests, most of them formarijuana possession, South Whitehall Police Chief Donald MacConnell said. Officers are investigating about 24 other cases.

MacConnell said he has found a disturbing number of abusers among minors. About 60 percent of the 35 arrests were for possession of illegal substances by minors.

"If you haven't gotten to your kid (with drug information) by that time, you may have lost him," he said.

In attempt to curb abuse by minors, South Whitehall police plan to hold seminars and public meetings beginning in the fall for the Parkland School District and Parkland Alliance for Youth, a parents' group. Okun said current information will be provided through officials from the U.S. Department of Justice.